How many film releases do you think you would have completely missed if there was no marketing for it? Word of mouth can only go so far… That means no posters, no trailers, no social media, no interviews and definitely no junkets! We all love a good deep dive with the cast and crew to get us excited about a film’s release.
So, what happens when a film is marketed wrong? Well, you’re going to have a lot of disappointment and negative reviews on your hands. All of which avoidable, of course. Enter the 2009 misunderstood, feminist horror and now cult classic, Jennifer’s Body.
Written by Diablo Cody, directed by Karyn Kusama and starring Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried, Jennifer’s Body unfortunately was a commercial flop because it was poorly marketed to the wrong audience. A female-focused film that was always intended to be an exploration of female friendship, sexuality and revenge, rather than fanservice for young men, was screened to a test audience of 18-24 year old frat boys.
Despite the selected audience for the test screening clearly being misaligned, the mismarketing continued right up to the point of the film’s release. The poster, for example, gives the impression that the film is a “sexy thriller with a wicked sense of humour” aimed at teasing 18-24 year old males. In reality, Jennifer’s Body is a satirical comedy with horror elements and feminist undertones.
During an interview at Beyond Fest 2019 (10 years after the release of the film!), Kusama shared that even the trailer fell short of doing the story justice. She said, “They didn’t understand that the movie had another character, and it was so much about a friendship between Megan’s character and Amanda’s character. It was just so strange, because it just took away the entire story. So I wrote in a polite email, like, ‘I’m extremely concerned by the absence of our…’ You know, I tried to be diplomatic, and what I got back was essentially, ‘Megan hot. Focus on Megan hot.’ It was just such a strange — it was a dark time."
This misrepresentation of the film obscured its feminist undertones, its complex exploration of female friendships, and its commentary on the objectification of women. The film's initial poor box office performance and critical reception were largely attributed to the disconnect between the marketing and the film's content.
It’s unfortunate that this unique film with a bold message didn’t receive the critical acclaim it deserved upon release. But we’re glad Jennifer’s Body has since found its audience and is now appreciated in the way its creators always intended.
Marketing is a crucial step in gathering your audience. No one wants to make a film that isn’t seen! Our MA in Film Marketing examines how to effectively connect consumer audiences to films and gives students the opportunity to collaborate with students from the Filmmaking MA. Applications for 2025 are now closed but you can find out more about the course here for a September 2026 intake.
Image: 'Jennifer's Body' courtesy of 20th Century Fox